Daggerboard trunk on a 26M

[Globalhobo]

Hi!
We're newbies to the MacGregor world and are looking at buying a 2005 25M. It's been rode hard and put away wet. Lots of trailer problems but we've got a good handle that.

I've a couple of questions, though. At the very bottom of the trunk, where it exits the hull, the edges have what looks like cracked sealant around it. No gouges but some sort of white material. Is this what it is supposed to look like? I wish I would have taken a picture, but alas... I've tried in vain to find a picture someone else may have posted of the bottom of the trunk but can't find one.

My next question is the aft berth has water in the 2 bilges under the double berth-maybe 2 inches. The boat hasn't been in the water for 4 years but it's been raining hard lately. Is this something to be concerned about or maybe it's leaking from the boot at the pedestal in the cockpit... just teeing to see if this is common.

We've been looking at the 26M online for a few years but this is the first time we've stepped foot in one. Really hoping it works out to get her.

Thanks for your help!

[jimmy alonso]

This is how my 2004 26M looks like.

[EZ]

It is my understanding that the bottom of the trunk is encapsulated in epoxy to form the permanent ballast. I think that it is unlikely you will have any leaks sourced from that area.

However, I have had leaks from rainwater on the top of the trunk.

Water leaks can be tough to diagnose, but it should be solvable. If possible, you should at minimum float the boat. Better would be to test drive. If these options are not possible, you could always negotiate price down and take your chances.

[Russ]

My next question is the aft berth has water in the 2 bilges under the double berth-maybe 2 inches. The boat hasn't been in the water for 4 years but it's been raining hard lately. Is this something to be concerned about or maybe it's leaking from the boot at the pedestal in the cockpit... just teeing to see if this is common.

These boats don't leak from the bottom. There are no holes, propeller shafts, rudders, or places where sea water can leak in which is a nice feature of the Mac.

With your boat being out of the water for 4 years and raining, it's not uncommon to have water get in there.
The problem with those aft compartments (an most of them) is water has no way of escaping. Covers prevent evaporation. It's probably nasty water as well. Mildew etc. Nothing that some bleach can't fix.

My guess is not the pedestal that's leaking. A common place for water infiltration is the motor connections and cables. Water runs down the wire cables in the motor well and enters the cabin. The steering linkage is also another entry point.
Some folks have modified the seal where these enter to seal out water


You didn't post your location. The cockpit/motor well drain could have frozen/cracked and is allowing water in there. There are lots of deck fittings where water can get in.

Congrats on the boat. Hope it works out for you.

--Russ

[fishstalker7]

Another possibility on the leaks would be where the rudder lines come down thru the rear of the boat. Based on the location of the water...that would be my guess (which can be easily modified to fix...see mods page).

Good luck...agree with the previous post...check it all out before you buy.

[Jimmyt]

Mine looked like the trunk had been glued to the bottom with a slather of marine Tex smeared on by Ray Charles with QC by Ron White on a bender. Actually Ray probably would have done a much better job.

I think it came that way, at least the PO claimed he had never done anything to it and he bought it new. Normally, I would be skeptical, but I spent a good bit of time with the guy on the test sail, and he was straight up about the boat otherwise. I'm thinking the factory figured nobody cared about this so they didn't spend much time finishing it.

I sanded it all down and gel coated it - just so it would be smooth for centerboard travel.

If yours looks like the above description, it probably came that way. Like Russ says, depending on where your boat was, there are any number of ways water could wind up inside, and I would add condensation - although the amount seems a bit much for that.

[Globalhobo]

Ray Charles... hahahahaaa.... funny!
Thanks for all of your input! It absolutely does look like that, Jimmyt. And it's all cracked from weather, salt water, or...? Seems like an easy fix then. Thanks for posting the picture, Jimmy Alonso-that really helped, although turns looks MUCH cleaner than the one we're looking at.

We can't take her on a sea trial, unfortunately-the trailer is not operable right now, the registration had been expired for years and the boat is definitely not in the shape to get out there. BUT I think we're going to chance it- the price is right and we've been dreaming of one for years. You folks are sure to see a lot of us on this forum-probably mostly in the repair/mod section!

Oh, and we're in Hawai'i...

Thanks for your input, guys, I'll let you know how it turns out and post some pics.
Leah

[dxg4848]

I was getting some water under aft berth and could never trace where it is coming from, and finally found leak a few days ago. It turned out that hose from motor well to through hull drain was cracked. It is only about 15" long. The way it is ran some water is always trapped in it, and maybe it froze and cracked in winter. It was hard to replace too. Had to carefully cut it with dremel.

[SENCMac26x]

Talking about rain intrusion.

Don't forget about that rub rail, I had water getting in to the bilge with no visible streaks inside the cabin. After listening to the advice of some of the forum "elders" I used silicon to seal the entire rubber strip and it great reduced the amount of water I have coming in.

Except now, after the last week of solid rain I seem to have some more water in the bilge I need to pump out.

[kmclemore]

!

kmclemore:

Leah, as a new poster here your posts need to be approved by an admin (like me) - this is to prevent spammers from posting to the forum. Please be patient while we get around to approving your posts, since we admins do this in our spare time and most of us work full-time jobs. Please don't double post, since we then need to also delete the repeated posts. Thanks for your patience while you become fully approved.

[Globalhobo]

!

kmclemore:

Leah, as a new poster here your posts need to be approved by an admin (like me) - this is to prevent spammers from posting to the forum. Please be patient while we get around to approving your posts, since we admins do this in our spare time and most of us work full-time jobs. Please don't double post, since we then need to also delete the repeated posts. Thanks for your patience while you become fully approved.

Sorry about that! Wasn't sure why it didn't post and then saw the admin approval needed after I did it again. :/ thanks for spending your spare time to admin! I love this forum already.